Among automotive interior components, an overhead console is partially exposed to UV rays and thus requires UV stability, high impact resistance and heat resistance for driver safety.
For such reasons, most automobile parts makers use a product obtained by post-processing, for example, painting, a molded article fabricated using an alloy resin of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer, i.e. a PC/ABS resin in automotive interior parts. However, there has been a continuous need for unpainted materials due to high manufacturing costs and environmental problems.
An alloy resin of polycarbonate and acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), i.e. a PC/ASA resin, is an engineering plastic which is widely used in automotive exterior parts, for example, a radiator grill and an outside mirror housing due to its excellent weather resistance and heat resistance. However, due to a relatively low glass transition temperature (Tg) of acrylate-based rubbers, the PC/ASA resin exhibits limited impact resistance as compared with a PC/ABS resin. In addition, when a matting agent is added to the PC/ASA resin in order to provide low gloss properties to some automotive interior parts requiring low gloss properties, such as an overhead console, impact resistance of the PC/ASA resin may be further deteriorated.
Although various techniques relating to an ASA resin have been proposed in various patent documents including Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0038507A, a technology of reinforcing impact resistance of an ASA resin has not been yet disclosed.
Therefore, there is a need for a thermoplastic resin composition for automotive interior components which may exhibit excellent impact resistance with minimal or no occurrence of gas silver streaks while providing low gloss properties.